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France, Greece and financial markets

The people of both countries have voted — the rest of Europe must now wait and see what the effects on the economy is going to be

May 9 2012, 1:01am, The Times

Sir, François Hollande’s victory and the chaos in Greece (report, May 8) illuminate a perverse and rotten feature of the current geopolitical settlement in Europe. In two countries the people, through democratic elections, have shown that they refuse to swallow the medicine prescribed by “the markets”. That markets do not like the political choices of millions of French and Greek people is immaterial. The people, through their representatives, should ensure that “the markets” operate for the benefit of the people, not vice versa.

John Slinger Rugby, Warks

Sir, Prepare for the brain-drain from France. It will be a sad thing for France to experience once more, as so many of her most productive and bright citizens will, not for the first time, flee her shores…